


Flicker

by scarletassasin



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-02 19:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5261126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletassasin/pseuds/scarletassasin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Post-The Bear King) Mulan and Ruby search for werewolves while many unexpected turn of events change the way of how they both see this adventure and each other</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

They'd been searching for weeks. They covered a lot of ground and even found three abandoned werewolf dens but no werewolves. They even ran into actual wolves once. Every dead end at every lead they found, became more irritating for Mulan, but she also felt relieved at the same time since she didn't want her adventure with Red-whose company she really started enjoying over the past few weeks-to end. Red seemed frustrated after every empty lair they found but she tried to hide her disappointment every time. Mulan could see through it every time but refrained from ever saying anything. They're nights were spent in front of a fire talking before they would rest before their search the next day. Red mostly talked about what Storybooke was like and some of her old adventures with Snow. She even told her about Peter and her mother one night. Mulan never shared too many personal stories but she would tell Red about her adventures with Phillip and Aurora or with Robin Hood and his Merry Men and her time spent alone. Red always enjoyed listening to her stories, especially when Mulan would throw some humor into them. She liked making Red laugh. Today, they were following a lead they acquired from a villager in a small town they passed. 

"Last night was full of howling. Wolf packs usually come and go, but this one has been here for a few days. Livestock has gone missing, even a few villagers" he said while trying to hide his fear.

They asked a few more villagers about the wolf pack. One boy claimed to have seen a giant wolf one night. Another woman was crying about her missing son who disappeared when he went to get water from the well outside one night. Two other people also mentioned missing loved ones. Red didn't seem too happy by all this information and they set out searching right after. They found tracks which Red confirmed to be werewolf tracks. It was daytime so they would be human when they found them.

"You don't seem too happy about finding this pack" Mulan said. Red turned to look at her and gave a shrug.

"The thing about these missing villagers bothers me. The old pack I was with never stalked small towns or took innocent villagers. The only time I ever killed someone innocent was when... you know. And I couldn't control the wolf back then. If this pack is taking people, I want to know why." Red stopped to look at where the last set of tracks were heading. There seemed to be a cave up ahead which would make a good temporary hideout for a pack. "That's their den. I can smell them." 

They walked toward the cave, Mulan unsheathed her sword preparing herself for a fight. Red cautiously walked ahead of her to the entrance of the cave. It wasn't a large cave but it was big enough to keep at least 5 large wolves. They found two people sitting inside. A large dark haired man with a slight scruff and a young blonde woman. The two jumped at the sight or Red and Mulan. 

"We're not here to hurt you." Yet. Red thought as Mulan held her sword aimed at the two strangers. "We just want some answers" Red tried to reason with them first. The two strangers glanced at each other before turning back to Red and Mulan.

"You have no business here." The woman said sternly while eyeing down Red. She probably smelled the fact that she was a wolf too.

"I know you're wolves. I am too as you probably already know. We just wanna know why you're stalking this town. And why you took those villagers." 

"That is none of your business. Go back to you own pack." The man said and fiercly looked at Mulan who was ready to attack any time. "Or are you with  _humans_ now?" he spit out, saying the word "human" bitterly.

"Humans are not our enemies. We _are_ human most of the time!" Red was already getting annoyed with these two strangers. 

"Tell that to all our brothers and sisters who died at the hands of humans!" the woman said resentfully.

"That doesn't mean you should kill innocent civilians." Mulan cut in.

"No humans are innocent" the man said with a menacing look as he continued to glare at Mulan. He pulled out a dagger and lunged at her. He dodged her sword every time she swung it and when she struck again he grabbed her sword-hand and used his other arm to strike her arm with his elbow making her drop her sword. The woman charged at Ruby with her own knife. Red dodged each swing and landed a blow to the woman's face. Mulan was dodging the man's blade and tackled him when she found an opening. She held his arms down as she held him on his back.

"Where are the villagers?!" Mulan yelled as she continuously punched him with one arm and used her other arm to hold his arms down. She tried to keep him from escaping her grasp but he kept struggling and grinding his teeth refusing to answer. He suddenly flipped their position and started punching Mulan who tried to shield herself with her forearms. She felt the man's weight disappear from on top of her and look to her side to see Red grabbing him by his shirt's collar from the floor after she tackled him and throwing him against the wall.

"Thanks." Mulan said from the floor. Red offered her hand to help her up which she took.

"You okay?" Red lifted her hand to Mulan's face examining for any injuries.

"Just a few bruises and cuts. I'll be fine" Mulan assured her. She grabbed her sword and walked over to the man who was now groaning on the floor and clutching his side. She brought the tip of her sword to his throat. "Where are the villagers?" she asked again sternly.

"Why would I tell you? You won't kill me." He laughed and Mulan brought her foot on to his injured side and pushing down. He yelled in pain "Okay! Okay! Please stop!" She brought her foot back to the ground.

"We killed one of them last night. He was our dinner." He gave a smug grin. Red who was standing behind Mulan came forward with a look that said she was ready to kill him. Mulan used her arm to stop her and held her back.

"Not yet." She said and gave Red an apologetic look. Red nodded and stepped back. "Where are the others?" Mulan asked the man.

"Our alpha took them somewhere this morning." he answered.

"Where?" Mulan was about to step on him again.

"I don't know! I swear! He didn't tell us! He just told us to wait until he got back." He clutched his side again

"He's telling the truth. He doesn't know." Mulan turned around to face Red.

"That's not good enough!" Red looked angrier now. She picked up his dagger and started towards him. Mulan grabbed arm.

"Red! Stop! This won't help. He's not worth it." she pleaded. Red relaxed in her grip and dropped the knife.

"You're right. It's just... They give us all a bad name. We're not monsters." Red lowered her gaze ashamed. 

"I know you're not." Mulan's hand lowered from Red's forearm to her grab her hand."You're not a killer like him" she said staring into Red's lowered eyes with a comforting look. "And there are plenty of human monsters too. You're better than all of them Red". Red lifted her gaze and smiled as she starred back into Mulan's eyes.

"Thank you." Red said through broad smile. Mulan smiled back and let got of her hand.

"Now lets go find that alpha and save those villagers" she said and Red nodded in agreement, still smiling at Mulan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'll be updating as frequently as I can. The red warrior tag needed more fics so I decided to write one because I love these two. This will eventually take place in storybrooke which I cannot wait to get to! Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

After tying up the two strangers, they searched the cave for any of the alpha's belongings for Red to find him. They finally found a coat that didn't smell like either of the two werewolves they had tied up so they decided to use it. Red ripped off a piece of the coat and followed the scent with Mulan right behind her. Their journey was mostly silent. They had been walking for a few hours.

"Do all werewolf packs have such few members?" Mulan asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

"No. My mother's pack had a lot more werewolves and they had a large safe den. These three don't seem to have a permanent den so they could be outcasts from another pack" 

"And what's it like being in a pack with so many others like you?" she asked. 

"Well my last experience didn't end very well as you know. But before it all went badly, it felt good to be with people who understood me and people who were just like me. It just turned out that they only understood the other side of me, not both." Red said as she walked over a fallen tree trunk with Mulan following right behind.

"And do you think you'll be happy with a new pack?" Mulan asked. Red stopped and turned around to look at Mulan curiously.

"Why do you ask?" 

"No reason. It's just-" 

"Wait. I smell him. He's near." She ran off and Mulan sighed and followed her. They ended up outside a small cottage. Smoke came up through the chimney, indicating that someone was inside. They approached one of the few windows to look inside. They saw a tall man (presumably the alpha) with his back turned to them and he seemed to be talking to a woman in front of him who was hidden by the large chair she was sitting in. To his right was one of the two missing villagers-a young woman- tied up and looking terrified. Various animal skulls were on the shelves and the walls seemed like they were falling apart from old age. There was a large empty table in the middle of the room and it looked dirty and worn out with cuts on top from a blade of some sort. The conversation between the alpha and the woman was muffled but they could make out some words like "how long?", "three" and "no time".

"We should go in" Red said decidedly moving towards the door while Mulan roller her eyes and grabbed Red by her hood, pulling her back.

"What do you think you're doing? We have no idea who's in there and what kind of threat they could pose."

"Well what should we do? Let them hurt those people? We have to stop them" Red said exasperatedly.

"We need a plan. We should draw them out. Or at least one of them. I'll take one, you take the other."

"Okay fine. What do we do first?"

"Wait for my signal" Mulan said as she got up and walked towards the door. She kicked it open brandishing her now unsheathed sword. The man turned around rapidly and grabbed a sword that was lying around on a table. Mulan stepped back outside and the man followed. "Now Red!" Red went inside and started untying the villager while Mulan fought off the man. After freeing the villager and telling her to run, Red turned her attention to the woman in the large chair.

"Who are you?" Red wasn't expecting an answer but the woman looked frail and weak and did not get up from her chair.

"Come here dear." The woman called over. Red cautiously walked over to her to get a better look. The woman's face was severely scarred by what seems to have been claws. She wasn't old which made her frailness seem out of place. "You're a wolf aren't you?" She spoke up again. Red didn't answer and waited for the woman to speak again. "As you can probably tell, I'm a witch. Now how would you like me to make your life better?" she sounded like she had trouble breathing when she talked. She would practically gasp for air after every sentence.

"Where is the boy?!" Red demanded.

"You see that big brute out there? He's like you and every once and a while he brings me three people as sacrifices and I make him stronger and give him the power he wants." she was stalling.

"What kind of power?"

"Enough power to kill your friend out there without a sword" She said cryptically. Red turned around to see Mulan fending for herself just fine.

"And what does he give you in return?"

"He always brings a young person as a sacrifice for me. But since you let the girl go free, I'll have to use the boy now instead of using him next month." The woman swiftly brought out a dagger that she had hidden near her to strike Red. Red was too fast to get stabbed but she felt a cut on her arm. The witch slowly got up, using her chair to balance herself and Red could tell this was taking a lot out of her. She grabbed the woman's wrist and made her drop the dagger before pushing her back into her seat.

Mulan knew that werewolves were strong but this alpha felt stronger than the ones they faced in the cave. She couldn't disarm him. She supposed it was because he was an alpha but then his eyes turned to a glowing yellow. A color she only saw when she looked into Red's eyes when she was in wolf form. He growled and dropped his sword. She looked at his hands and instead of the short nails he had before, he had claws and his fangs grew twice they size. She swung her sword at him and he grabbed the blade with his bare hand and tossed it to the side. It was unexpected to say the least. He then started swinging his arms to claw at her. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close so he could grab her by the throat. When he did, he lifted her up in the air and started squeezing the life out of her. Before he even got close to killing her, Mulan lifted her legs and kicked him in the face making him drop her. She scrambled and grabbed her sword. As he lifted his head up again she stabbed him in the chest. He fell to the ground and she went into the cottage to join Red who was standing near the woman.

"One villager is still missing" Mulan announced as she walked in.

"I know. She's been awfully quiet for the past minute. She's a witch and the villagers are sacrifices for her and that guy to get more power or whatever" Red explained.

"Oh dear, you two have bigger things to worry about than a simple farm boy. When _he_ wakes up, I mean." Said the woman while pointing at the dead man outside.

"Your guard dog is dead, witch" Mulan said and Red gave her an irritated look for the dog joke to which Mulan shrugged at with a half-smile. Mulan suddenly felt something grab her by the cape and the next thing she knew she was being thrown outside into a tree. She looked up and saw the man she had just killed snarling at her. Red grabbed a log from next to the fireplace and threw it at the back of his head.

"Leave her alone!" She ran towards him as he turned around and punched his right jaw. He stumbled and then she followed by a series of punches to his face. He grabbed her fist when she swung again. She tried to push back but his additional strength from the witch overpowered her own. She used her free hand to punch him in the side and when she tried to hit him again he grabbed her by her forearm. His claws were digging into her skin but she held her ground, ignoring the pain. Mulan took the chance to stab him again. This time she aimed for his heart. He yelled and fell to his knees. He didn't look like he would be getting up again. They turned back to the cottage which was now filled with a dark mist from magic. They ran in to find the witch holding the missing boy with a knife to his throat. To their left was an open hatch which lead to a basement where the boy was hidden earlier.

"Let him go." Mulan said calmly while trying to think of a plan.

"He needs to die right now form me to live. I have no other choice. All you wolves are the same." She said while glaring at Red. "A wolf like you did this to my face. All because she wanted power. Now I need to sacrifice people every few months so I can stay alive. Why can't you leave me be?" the witch explained.

"We can't just let you kill innocent people." Red said as she slowly inched towards Mulan and handed her a dagger behind her back. "Leave the boy and use me as your sacrifice. I'm older and stronger." Red started walking towards the witch. The witch stared at her and let go of the boy who ran behind Mulan. 

"Fine." the witch waited for Red to come near her. Her cauldron which was producing the magical mist was slowly running out of magic. The witch noticed and beckoned Red to come over faster. Red looked at Mulan which she took as a signal and threw the dagger Red had given her, hitting the witch in the shoulder. She yelped and fell to the ground. Red kicked over her cauldron, spilling the potion. The witch glared at them until she turned to dust. They both gave a sigh of relief.

"I don't know about you, but when I said we'd look for werewolves, I wasn't expecting to face a witch and a werewolf beast-man." Red said and Mulan grinned. They found the young woman they had previously freed outside and she offered to take the boy back to their village. She even offered them a meal at her home for saving her life. They declined but thanked her and decided to rest. It was getting dark out. They set up camp about an hour's walk away, near a river stream. They washed their wounds in the river and sat near a fire. Red stared at Mulan for a while.

"You're bleeding. I can smell it." she said sounding concerned. 

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch" she brushed off. Red examined Mulan.

"Let me see it." Mulan looked at her and new she wouldn't stop asking about it so she took off her cape and opened her armor to reveal long a deep cut on her left side just under her ribs. Red looked surprised that she was hit through her armor. She then grabbed a piece of cloth and soaked it in the river. She sat down on the log next to Mulan and started cleaning her wound. They stayed silent for a moment.

"You know," Red started." You never told me about the person who broke your heart. I never asked because I knew you didn't want to talk about it but, I feel like we've been though a lot together over these past weeks. We've saved each other more times than I can count. But you don't need to tell me if you don't want to." she reminded. Mulan fell silent. She wouldn't look Red in the eyes and stared at the fire. She sighed. "Was it someone I know?" Red asked.

"Yes. When I finally worked up the courage.. they were.. expecting a child." Something in Red's mind seemed to click.

"Was it-"

"Not Phillip." Mulan finally looked at her. Red understood what she was trying to say.

"Aurora... I'm sorry Mulan" She grabbed her hand. "You'll find someone. I promise." Mulan looked at Red. The comforting smile on her face and her eyes gave a warm look that made her feel at ease. She thought about how much she enjoyed her company, how much she'd miss her when she'd finally find a pack. She would be alone again as always. That's how she used to prefer it. But now she didn't like the thought of being alone. Not when she could be with Red. Her eyes widened. She wasn't ready to go through rejection again. If she were to ever feel anything for Red she would get her heart broken again so she tried to suppress those thoughts. She pulled her hand from Red's and abruptly stood up.

"I'll go find something for us to eat." Mulan quickly turned around, grabbed her bow and arrows and walked into the woods leaving a confused Red sitting alone near the fire. Red wondered if she would ever find love again but she was too focused on finding a pack for now. She looked at Mulan walking away then turned her attention back to the illuminating fire. 


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a week since their encounter with that witch and her werewolf minion. Mulan and Red were now heading east after finding no other signs of werewolves in DunBroch. They would eventually have to cross a lake to get to the Enchanted Forest. Ruby had searched in some areas in the Enchanted Forest alone before she came to DunBroch but with Mulan's help she would probably have more luck finding them. Mulan actually seemed more distant to Red the past few days but she wasn't sure why. Sometimes she'd cut conversations short and she seemed more tense than usual. Red would usually just go along with it and give her space but then she thought that Mulan was being so distant was because she might have regretted telling her about Aurora. She thought it was her own fault for asking about the subject but she tried not to overthink the situation. What she was sure of though, was that she didn't want to lose Mulan, so she was going to try to make Mulan feel comfortable with her again.

They were going about with their usual routine of waking up, eating something, following tracks or asking people if they saw anything strange, although they were both much more silent than usual. Red suggested they visit a tavern in a village they were passing through and Mulan nodded in agreement, since they had nothing to do. It wasn't very late in the night so it wasn't really full. There were a few passed out drunks in some corners who looked like regulars, a couple of large loud groups of men and the occasional solo customers walking in or out. They sat across from each other at a small table in the back, secluding themselves from the rowdy activities of the rest of the inn. A young brunette woman came up to them to ask them what they were eating or drinking. After they answered and she left, Ruby tried to start a conversation.

"Fun fact... Back in the other land, I was a waitress too. My Granny owns a dinner." Mulan responded with a shy smile.

"Is a dinner like a tavern?" She asked curiously. Red gave an endearing smile.

"It is, but it's more food than alcohol. So we didn't have loud drunks unless someone was celebrating or something. So you never travelled to our land right?"

"No. Never." At that moment the waitress brought them drinks. Mulan rarely drank alcohol but she grabbed the cup and took a long chug.

"Why is that? Why weren't you with Robin Hood and his men when they came over with the next curse?" Red took a sip from her own drink.

"I didn't stay with them for long. Apparently I was little too aggressive sometimes. It was how I dealt with- Uh.. My broken heart. I decided I was better at working alone, so I left before the second curse hit." Mulan took the large pint and refilled her cup.

"Lucky you." Red laughed lightly. Her smile faltered and she started picking at a crack in the wooden table. Mulan tried to break the award silence that followed.

"You never told me what it was like being cursed in the other land. Were you all versions of yourselves without your memories of meeting each other?"

"Not exactly" Red replied. "We had whole other identities. We had no idea who we were and no memory of our old lives. Then when it was broken, it was like waking up from a weird dream and coming back to reality. All the good _and_ bad stuff of your old life. Remembering it all at once. And then I wasn't the old me from the Enchanted forest or the old cursed me. It felt like I was someone in the middle." She finished the last of her drink and poured some more into her cup. "Weren't you ever curious to see the other land? I mean, you were left behind during both curses." She gave Mulan a curious look.

"Well I've always been curious about it. But not enough to find a way to travel there-It was never a priority for me."

"I think you would have liked it there. Maybe not all of it, but there are some pretty helpful things there. Like electricity or food that you don't have to hunt and warm water." Red smiled thinking about how easy things were back home. She then remembered all the friends and loved ones she left behind which made her smile into a frown which she tried to hide behind her cup as she took another sip of her drink, but Mulan noticed that something was bothering her. She could tell by the way her eyes lost that cheerfulness they always had.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a caring expression. Red's glance was focused on her glass cup.

"It's just... weird being here without anyone from back home. I was so used to living with Granny or being with Snow and everyone else."

"You miss them" It was an answer rather than a question. "I know how it feels. After being with Aurora for so long as we searched for Phillip, I felt out of place when I wasn't traveling with them. I found myself when I was with them so when I was alone again it felt like I was back to how I was before I'd met them. Lost." She looked at Red who still looked downhearted. "But don't worry, you'll find new people to care about. And they will help you feel better; like you've found yourself again." Red's eyes finally rose from that glass she seemed so focused on and met Mulan's.

"Have you? Met anyone like that."

"Yes" she said hesitantly. They stayed staring into each others eyes for a few seconds. Mulan was lost in Red's captivating blue eyes. She felt a warmness rising in her cheeks and she figured it was from all the alcohol she had. A sound of glass shattering from behind Red brought them out of it. The source of the broken glass was a drunk who had just passed out when he tried to stand up. They had a few more drinks  before deciding to leave. 

"Uh, I think we should go. It's getting late and I'm not looking forward to dealing with a crowd of drunks." Red nodded and downed the rest of her drink before standing up. She almost fell on her first attempt of staring up and then took wobbly steps forward. Mulan giggled at Red's failure to walk in a straight line. She hadn't had as much as Red had to drink but she felt a little lightheaded. "Maybe we should get a room here at the inn for tonight." Red squinted her eyes as if she didn't understand what Mulan was saying and then nodded after she processed her thoughts. Mulan asked for a room and after she paid, she helped Red up the stairs in the back. There were about six rooms since it was such a small inn and only two of them seemed occupied. Their's was at the end of the small hallway on the left. Mulan dropped the key the first time she tried to unlock the door, which Red laughed at. Mulan finally opened the door and Red tripped (again) falling right into her arms. Their faces were inches apart and Mulan felt a heat in her cheeks again as she blushed.

"You are a great person Mulan. You're just so helpful and kind and you make me laugh, I don't know how we never met sooner. I mean, if-" The rest of her words were mumbled and Mulan couldn't understand anything she was saying. Her words started getting softer and softer until she seemed to have fallen asleep. Mulan carried her to the bed and laid her down on the right side. She smiled as she looked at her and then moved to the other side of the bed. She laid down and took a moment to appreciate how comfortable the bed felt compared to the ground around a fire. She looked at Red again who already looked like she was having a sound sleep before she fell asleep herself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer to update than last time. Writer's block plus school stuff. Hope you enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Finals are coming up. After Friday I'm free so I can work on this as much as I want. And I noticed that I sometimes shift between POVs so I hope that's not confusing. Enjoy!

The first thing Mulan heard when she woke up was someone yelling. That was actually what woke her up so early in the first place. The sun had just started rising. A woman whose voice she recognized as the tavern owner, was yelling at someone to get out of her tavern. The man responded with mumbled pleas for another drink and then she heard the tavern door slam shut. They were right upstairs so they could hear everything. She isn't sure why she and Ruby thought I'd be a great idea to spend the night there. Of course the bed was a lot more comfortable than the ground and it was a lot warmer. After opening her eyes, she was overwhelmed by some sunlight that was passing through the slightly broken shutters and then her head started throbbing in pain. She also noticed that Ruby's arm was on top of her. She turned around to find Ruby still sleeping with her face buried in the pillow. She slowly moved Ruby's arm from on top of her to the bed and she sat up bringing her legs out from under the sheets and on to the floor, preparing to stand up. She was hit by a wave of dizziness and rested her elbows on her knees as she rubbed her temples wishing for the headache to go away. 

She heard Ruby stir behind her and heard her loudly groan into the pillow. "My head is killing me." her voice was muffled because of the pillow but it sounded clear to Mulan. "I don't remember alcohol being this strong here." she continued as she turned around and sat up. "You too, huh?" she said as she looked at Mulan crouched over. Mulan nodded and fell back down to the bed. 

"I have not spent a night like that in years." Mulan exclaimed. Ruby looked at her curiously.

"Drinking, I mean. I was disciplined as a warrior and a warrior treats their body like a temple."

"Oh I'm sure they do." Ruby smirked. "I used to have a lot of nights like that in Storybooke. Well my cursed self did. It's strange; having all those memories of things I could have never imagined myself doing before." Ruby laid back down, staring at the ceiling. "So I think we should take today off too. No way I'm looking for werewolves with a hangover." She looked over at Mulan who was still hunched over and relatively silent. "Hey, you okay?" She sat up and moved her hand on to Mulan's back, rubbing in circular motions to comfort her. 

"Fine. Just my head."

"Here.." Mulan felt Ruby's hand move up to her shoulder and gently pull her down to the bed. She rested her head on the pillow and Ruby was sitting next to her. Her hands moved to Mulan's face. She used her index and middle fingers to put slight pressure on Mulan's temples on both sides of her forehead. "I heard about this once. There are pressure points here that should help headaches go away."

"I know about this technique." She would have continued but she just let Ruby massage her forehead and felt a lot more relaxed as her eyes shut.

"So since we've looked through most of Dunbroch, we should go see Merida again before we leave for the Enchanted Forest."

"That sounds like a good idea." Ruby smiled at how calm and relaxed Mulan looked.

"Feeling any better?"

"Very." Her eyes were open again. She gently grabbed Ruby's wrists. "Thank you. You don't have to continue."

Ruby chuckled. "But it's so nice to see you so calm and less tense."

"I can be very calm." 

"Yeah, when I give you a head massage." She joked. They had the occasional banter once in a while which Ruby found fun.

"Very funny." Mulan crossed her arms and glared. Ruby laughed.

"Come on, I'm just kidding. You're adorable when you get pouty." Mulan tried to hide her smile.

"Well, thank you." 

"Can I ask a question?" Ruby asked, her smile slightly fading, indicating that her question wouldn't be part of their friendly banter. "What are you gonna do after all this? Or what are you planning on doing?"

"I'm not sure. I've never thought about it. I've been so focused on enjoying the present. Uh, by focusing on the task."

"What about Storybrooke? You know a few people there. And Aurora is there."

"Aurora has Phillip. I don't have someone like that in that land."

"You never know who or what you could find there. I mean, I never expected to meet you here and I'm glad I did. And you've been helping me on this whole adventure; I just don't want to leave you alone." Mulan sat up, her eye level reaching Ruby's.

"Red. Don't worry. I'll be fine. I've been alone for most of my travels. A little more time won't be any different." After saying that, she wasn't know if it was entirely true anymore.

"I hope so." Ruby's eyes met Mulan's and noticed how close their faces were. She felt something that she hadn't felt in a long time. Like butterflies in her stomach when seeing a crush. Feelings she'd only ever felt so deeply with Peter, but more intense. She didn't know why, but she felt inclined to lean in closer and bring Mulan's lips to her own. She felt confused at that moment. She never noticed these feelings she had for Mulan. She wasn't even sure what exactly she was feeling or if Mulan felt the same way. She glanced down at Mulan's lips and before she knew it she was cupping Mulan's cheek and leaning in. She felt her heart racing as she leaned in and her lips brushed Mulan's hesitantly. When their lips finally met, everything felt like it froze. Mulan's lips were softer than she expected, and those butterflies in her stomach had intensified. She brought her other arm up and wrapped both arms around Mulan's neck.

Mulan brought her hands to Ruby's hips and deepened the kiss. She felt so lost in that moment and her thoughts were racing from bliss to nervousness. She never felt like this with anyone before. Ruby slowly pulled away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I don't know what came over me." 

Mulan smirked. "Not uncomfortable. Calm maybe. Who's tense now?" she teased. Ruby giggled and kissed her again. 


	5. Chapter 5

A week after Ruby had kissed Mulan she couldn't help but act like an awkward school girl with a crush around her. Sure, they'd occasionally make out every once in a while and Mulan _did_ seem a lot more relaxed around her, but Ruby tended to babble or would blush and look away every time Mulan so much as smiled at her. Peter was the only person she ever dated and truly had feelings for, but that was so long ago she'd forgotten what it was like to like someone like this. The two of them were traveling back to Dunbroch to see Merida one last time before they left for the Enchanted forest. Ruby was once again reminded of the reason they had been traveling in the first place. The reason she came back to the Enchanted forest; to find werewolves, a pack where she could fit in. She wasn't expecting to meet Mulan and... She wasn't sure what she and Mulan were. It wasn't like they were dating or like they were in a relationship. Friends with benefits? Maybe more than friends? She didn't know, but she _did_ know she didn't want it to end anytime soon. She pushed those thoughts away and decided she'd deal with that problem when it would arise in the future.

"How much longer do you think till we get there?" Ruby tried to distract herself. Mulan was walking ahead of her, leading the way through the woods. It was slightly dark out since the sun was setting and the large trees around them blocked out most light from reaching them. 

"A day or two at most." She looked back at Ruby whose gaze was focused on the trail, not looking up at her. She looked slightly withdrawn. "Something wrong?" Ruby looked up.

"What? No, not at all. I'm just tired. We've had a long walk today." 

"You're right. It will be getting dark soon so maybe we should just stop for today and rest. It's not like the queen of Dunbroch is going anywhere." she chuckled. They walked off the trail and found a spot under a relatively large tree to set up camp. Mulan collected enough wood for a fire that would last for most of the night. She could get more later if needed. Ruby was sitting on a large log when she returned. She set down the wood and started a fire before sitting next to her. 

"What is it?" She asked, knowing that something was bothering Ruby from the look on her face. It was the same look she'd see on her many times throughout the many weeks they spent together like when Ruby thought about her friends and Granny back home. They had a lot of conversations of people they knew back in the other land. Mulan never admitted it but she really missed Aurora and Phillip. After they were sent to the other world along with Robin Hood and his Merry Men, she felt truly alone at times. She tried to use her anger to block out those feelings. But she couldn't be angry anymore with Ruby who made her happier. She thought that when Ruby would eventually leave her to join a pack, something she wanted ever since she came back to the Enchanted forest, Mulan would be alone again. Ruby seemed to bring herself out of her deep thought and looked at Mulan.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Ruby's glance moved from Mulan to the ground as she spoke. She was trying to avoid looking at Mulan in the eyes which was something Mulan noticed that she did when she was nervous. She gave her a knowing look waiting for an answer. Ruby sighed.

"Okay. I'm just... I haven't been with anyone like this for a long time. I don't even know what _this_ is." She said gesturing between the two of them. "I don't know where we're going with this or if we're going anywhere. I guess I'm just, intimidated by it all?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Well if it would make you fell any better, neither do I." She smiled and Ruby chuckled. "And the future  _is_ intimidating. But whatever the outcome of it, your decisions are what make it what it is. So I think we should decide what we want for the future." She looked at Ruby expectantly, waiting for any kind of answer.

"What if I don't know what I want?" Ruby looked more distressed than before. Mulan held her hand.

"It's okay. No one knows what they truly want. Sometimes we can choose to take a risk." Mulan swallowed, feeling anxious for what she was about to say. She felt her heart racing "Red. I need to tell you something." Ruby looked at Mulan. She thought she saw worry on her face and her grip on Mulan's hand tightened slightly. "I've enjoyed this time we've spent together and I-" She heard Ruby take a deep breath like she was about to say something but before she could she quickly added "I don't want you to leave" Before she could continue, she heard shuffling in the bushes behind her and reached for her sword. A group of about 10 people walked out and stood in from of them. One tall dark haired man in the group walked towards them and Mulan stood up and unsheathed her sword which she pointed it at him, with Ruby standing up right behind he. "Who are you? What do you want?" The man's eyes glowed the same yellow as Ruby's did when she was about to turn into a wolf. 

"We mean you no harm human. Lower your sword."

"Not gonna happen" He looked past Mulan at Ruby who was standing there quietly. 

"Red. I'm not sure if you recognize me. My name is Jason and I was part of your mother's pack. We all were." He said gesturing at the figures standing behind him. "Ever since your mother died I have unrightfully taken over as alpha."

"What do you mean unrightfully?" Red asked, speaking up fro the first time.

"When an alpha is killed by another wolf, the wolf that kills them becomes the new alpha. I became alpha until you would decide to return. We heard you had returned from the other land looking for a pack and we have come to ask you to take your rightful place as our leader." Ruby was shocked to say the least and couldn't find anything to say. "We are in need of a strong leader. We struggle finding food sometimes and we lose every attack from other packs. There used to be a lot more of us." He continued. Mulan felt disappointed. The moment she had been dreading had arrived quicker than she expected and the offer they were making Red was something she shouldn't refuse. She glanced at her, her face shifted between sadness and confusion.

"Could you give us a moment?" Red asked him. 

"Of course." The pack turned around and walked back into darkness of the woods, but not far of course. Mulan felt Ruby's hands hold her own.

"Mulan. I'm going to go with them. I-" she hesitated. Her eyes seem to start to tear up and Mulan knew the feeling of heartbreak that was about to follow. "I don't want to leave either but-"

"Then don't. Please." Mulan's voice cracked as she pleaded.

"I have to help them. It's my fault they don't have a leader. I killed my mother that night. Accident or not I still owe them my help. It's the least I can do for them. I wish we could have more time together because I really like you and these past 6 weeks, have been some of the best days I've had in a long time." She let go of one of Mulan's hands brought her own up to cup the side of Mulan's face and caressed her cheek with her thumb. "Go to Dunbroch and I'll join you in 10 days. If I'm not there in 10 days then I'd have made up my mind on staying with the pack. If I _do_ show up, I guess we'll see where our decisions take us then. But for now, this is goodbye." She leaned in and kissed Mulan for which she as hoping wouldn't be the last time. "And don't go around wallowing again." She joked trying to lighten the mood. Mulan giggled and hugged Ruby.

"I'll miss you." she said lightly as she hugged Ruby.

"Me too." They let go and Ruby started walking away towards the pack. She looked at Mulan one last time before she disappeared into the woods with the other werewolves. Mulan sat back down on the log still looking at where Ruby had been standing just seconds ago.

 


	6. Chapter 6

The walk back to Dunbroch felt longer than it ever had before. The loneliness and sorrow Mulan was feeling were the main reason why this walk felt so dull and tedious. She tried to think about the good things that were ahead of her, like seeing Merida again and staying in a nice warm castle with plenty of food. But any feeling of slight joy was nullified by the feeling of sadness that was consuming her. Nothing could make the sorrow go away. Every time  she thought about Ruby she thought about the fact that she may never see her again. Pushing those thoughts away proved to be difficult since it was the only thing on her mind. She tried thinking about how long it would take of her to get back to Dunbroch. It had been a day and if she were to wake up early enough the next morning, she would be there by noon.

She instinctively looked behind her waiting to see Red following her but the only thing behind her was the vast empty forest. She sighed and kept on walking. After the sun had set she found a spot to say for the night and made a fire. She had no appetite, just like in the morning when she forced herself to eat a fruit so she wouldn't pass out during her journey, so she didn't bother to go hunt for food. Instead she sat by the fire, lost in her own thoughts. When she finally decided to sleep, she couldn't help but toss and turn, not finding a comfortable position. After what felt like most of the night of being awake, she was finally able to sleep. 

Waking up, she felt hungry which she saw as a good sign, so she set off for Dunbroch and stopped at a small village to find food that didn't require energy to be acquired. After walking for a while, she had arrived. She made her way into the castle passing many of its occupants, but no one she recognized.

"Mulan?" she turned around to see Merida standing in a doorway with a smile on her face. "What are you doing here?" she asked excitedly as she ran towards Mulan and hugged her. She hugged her back, a smile forming on her won face. 

"I came to see you. It's been so long

"Mulan?" She turned around to see Merida's mother, Elinor standing in a doorway, staring at her curiously. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Merida. Where is she?" A frown formed on Elinors face. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" There was a slight worry in Mulans voice.

"She left for Camelot two weeks ago and never came back. We've gotten word that a dark curse hit Camelot, taking away everyone that was there, including Merida. I've been worrying for weeks." The former queen's eyes seemed to be tearing up.

"Don't worry. The curse probably just took them all to the land without magic. Where Red is from." The last sentence she said softly and quietly, like she was saying it to herself. She hadn't talked to anyone about everything that happened Red yet.

"I sent a few men to search of her and they found the entire kingdom empty. Do you know how to get to this land?"

"I'm afraid it's a difficult task theses days. You would need a magic bean which would be hard to find since they don't exist anymore."

"What about Red? She is from that land. Wouldn't she know another way back?"

"I doubt it but it's possible." Elinor looked distraught. The frustration must have been bothering her. 

"Please Mulan. Dunbroch needs its queen. And I need my daughter. Is there anything you can do?" Mulan thought for a few seconds. Merida was her friend and she wanted to help her.

"I'll try to find a way to get her back. Red might know something but I don't exactly know where she is. She said that she would try to meet me here in Dunbroch in a few days so I'll be staying here to wait for her. In the meantime, I'll see if that witch knows anything." Elinor smiled and pat Mulan on the shoulder.

"Thank you. You were always kind to our family." Mulan smiled back.

"Merida is my friend. I _will_ find her. Don't worry." She then walked off, the witch's cottage being her next destination.

* * *

 

The setting was all too familiar. She got off the horse she had borrowed from the castle's stables and tied it to a post and walked towards the cabin. She opened the cabin door to find it empty. She then smiled to herself as she remembered a certain werewolf tackle her to the ground the last time she was here.

"Can I help you with something?" Mulan turned around to see the woman she was looking for with her arms crossed. "I swear, these past few months, you travelers have been entering me cabin as if it were your own home. Now dear, what is it you want?" she said in her heavy Scottish accent.

"The queen of Dunbroch has vanished. Many believe she was taken by the dark curse that struck Camelot. I came to ask if you know anything about it?"

"Merida?" She seemed slightly bother by this news. "And why do you think I would know?" The witch moved over to pick up some books that were on the floor and set them on a table. "Just because I'm a witch, doesn't mean I know about someone else curse."

"Even the slightest clue can help. Is there anything you know?" The witch hesitated.

"I might know something." The witch looked at Mulan again as if she were analyzing every aspect of her. "You're Merida's friend aren't you? You helped her find the helm." Mulan nodded. "And you're also the one who freed me wolf."

"She wasn't an animal you could keep as a pet. She came to you for help and you kept her prisoner. I don't see how that's fair. So yes, I _am_ the one who freed her." The witch seemed to have grinned.

"Interesting." Mulan glared at her. 

"What is?" 

"Well I _did_ try to help her." Mulan scoffed.

"How?"

"Where is she now?"

"With other werewolves" Mulan admitted. "But why keep her prisoner and not just... tell her?!" 

"She came to me, asking for others like her. I kept her until someone would come along and help her. Someone like her." 

"So I was a part of this whole ridiculous situation?" Mulan was unamused by all this. Most of this witch's decisions were completely unnecessary to helping Red yet she still somehow saw them as necessary.

"Not just a part of it. Maybe more of a key to it all."

"You're not making any sense." Mulan shook her head. "And why me?"

"I'm not the one who told you to save her. After all that time trapped as a wolf, you were the only one who could rescue her. So maybe that says something about the two of you." The witch was still grinning. "You had a great bond during the time you spent together didn't you?" Mulan's brows furrowed.

"It doesn't matter now. She found what she was looking for."

"Has she?" Mulan looked up at the with again. "And what about you?" Mulan fell silent for a few seconds.

"Right now, I'm looking for my friend. What do you know about Merida's whereabouts?"

"These dark curses usually end up taking everyone to the land without magic. So that's where you'll find her. I don't know how to get you there but I _do_ know that the curse was cast by the Dark One. If you want to help her, you'll need to find a way to get to this other land."

"Is there any way you know of to get there?"

"There may be. There's a place in the woods. It's said that there is still powerful magic there. That's all I know about it so don't ask me if you'll be running into anyone. But you might find something there that could help you. All I can give you..." She shuffled over to a table and picked up one of her books. She looked through it until she found a folded piece of paper hidden between a few pages. She gave it to Mulan. "This map will help you find it." Mulan looked at it and nodded. She started walking towards the door.

"Before you go..." Mulan looked back. "Don't go alone. Magic brings many dangers." 

"Thank you." The witch nodded at her. She walked out, mounted her horse and set off to Dunbroch. She was considering going alone. A soldier from Dunbroch wouldn't be that much help to her but she decided to heed the witch's warning. She wouldn't be able to help Merida if something were to happen to her. Red would have been a better person to have with her on this mission. She trusted her, but she wasn't here to help her.

She reached palace and took her horse back to the stables before she looked for Elinor. She asked one of the royal servants and he told her where she could find Elinor. She found her standing in Merida's room, starring out of the window. She didn't look like she was there for long but she jumped when Mulan walked into the room.

"Did you find anything?" she asked the warrior.

"I might have." She showed Elinor the map. The witch said there is powerful magic residing in this area. It might be nothing but it might also be our only chance." The former queen nodded.

"I'll send a few men with you. See what you can find." 

"If we leave now we might be able to get there before nightfall."

"Good. I'll send the men to the stables." After that, Mulan hurriedly left for the stables. She was met by three tall soldiers who had their horses ready to go. She retrieved her horse for herself and they set off.

It was already getting late when they left but they would at least have some sunlight left when they arrived at their destination. That said destination turned out to be a cave. They tied their horses to trees and made a few torches before they entered the cave.

"Stay together. We don't know what we might be facing." The men followed her instructions and as they walked deeper into the cave Mulan felt a strong breeze. What was strange about it was that it coming from inside the cave. The cave already felt so large that she figured there might be a hidden temple somewhere inside it. they eventually reached a dead end of a wooden wall. Mulan took of her glove and placed her hand on one of many large cracks of the wooden barrier and felt the breeze. She looked at the soldiers and one of them started cutting it down with his axe.

After he finished, they walked through and eventually ended up in a large empty room. There were markings on the walls that looked like they continued up to the ceiling but the ceiling was too high for her to be able to examine. There were gems stuck inside some of the walls that looked like they were inserted there and the men started rummaging through anything they could find, like chests or barrels. Mulan walked through what looked like a hallway which led to another room which was full of books and gems. The entire place looked like it belonged to a sorceress or sorcerer who for some reason was no longer there. She then heard two loud explosions and went back to the large main room.

She looked up to see three men standing on the ledge above the room she was just in. They were dressed in armor that also hid their faces. They all stood still and then one of them jerked his hand as if he were throwing something at Mulan. She jumped out of the way and a small explosion was left in the spot. These men were using magic. She looked back at the soldiers that were with her, one of them was unconscious on the ground while the other two looked like they took a hit but were still standing with their weapons unsheathed. The three armored men jumped off the ledge sending those explosive blasts their way. Mulan dodged most of them but one of them hit her in the side. It felt like she was hit by a small boulder which was also on fire. She stood back up and one of the men charged at her with his sword which she deflected with her own. They fought and for a moment she seemed to have the upper hand. Before she could strike him again he aimed his hand towards the ground and smoke surrounded her. She couldn't see anything and she heard one of her soldiers scream in pain. She coughed and tried clearing the smoke with her hand. When it finally started clearing up she saw one of them armored men drive his sword through her last soldier's chest. He fell to the ground and the armored man started walking towards her.

She held up her sword, ready to attack but the man used his magic and she felt a force pull it out of her hands and throw it to the side. He was instantly in from of her and grabbed her by the throat. He lifted her into the air and she pulled out a knife she had hidden in her boot and stabbed him in the neck. He seemed unfazed, as if nothing had happened but when he pulled out the knife it was covered in blood. He wiped his own blood off the knife on his sleeve before stabbing Mulan in the side. He dropped her and waved his hand.

She was suddenly back in the forrest outside the cave, with her three dead soldiers around her. She looked at her injury, the knife wasn't very deep and it was obvious that the man may not have wanted her death to be instant because if he did she wouldn't be alive right now. She didn't pull out the knife yet, to avoid bleeding out. She tried to stand up and walk to her horse to at least get supplies from the bags on the saddle, but it proved difficult. She crawled up to the cave's entrance and sat against the stone wall. She started feeling weak and tired, even without taking out the knife, she was still bleeding out. She held her hands to her wound but after a while she couldn't hold them up anymore. It was dark out and already and then she felt that was starting to fall unconscious. Everything started fading to black and she slowly shut her eyes. She was thinking of Red smiling at her and muttered her name one last time before her eyes completely shut.


	7. Chapter 7

At first, Mulan thought she had died. She was slipping in and out of consciousness. The first thing she remembered feeling, was a warm hand gripping her face. Those hands were the only warmth she was feeling. Other than that she was feeling cold and pain in her side from her injury. The hand left her face and she felt it covering her bleeding wound on her side. She wanted to speak or open her eyes but she didn't have the energy to do either, so she must have lost a lot of blood. She'd had plenty of injuries like this before; an arrow to the shoulder, many cuts from swords and many more that she wasn't going to recount at that moment. Instead, she tried to open her eyes just to get a glimpse of who was with her. She hoped it was Red. She hoped that somehow Red had known where she was and had come to help her. She tried to speak again.

"Who-?" She couldn't get out a full sentence. "Who are-?" She tried again. She heard a distant voice speaking to her but she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. "Dunbroch" was the last thing she said before loosing consciousness again. At least this person would know where to take her. 

After a while she felt constant rocking. The feeling was all too familiar, she was on a horse. She felt someone's body leaning on her from behind. They were guiding the horse and keeping her from falling off. 

This time she could make out some of the words this person was saying. "Hold on" and something about Dunbroch were the only ones she fully heard. Before she knew it she slipped back out of consciousness.

* * *

 

The next time she woke up, she was able to open her eyes. She was staring at a ceiling. She was in a room, lying on a bed. Trying to sit up proved to be a mistake, as she felt like her left side was on fire. She lied back down. A window was open which made the room bright. Considering that it was dark out when she first lost consciousness, she had been asleep for quite a while. She guessed she was in Dunbroch. The room looked similar to the types of room that Dunbroch's castle had. After a few moments, a nurse-maiden walked in.

"Oh you're awake." Before Mulan could respond, the woman rushed out and returned with Queen Elinor. 

"Mulan. What happened?"

"The cave turned out to be a temple. Men were guarding it. Men with magic. They killed your soldiers." Mulan frowned. "I couldn't stop them".

"It's all right dear. There was nothing you could have done."

"Who brought me here?" She finally asked what she had been thinking about ever since she woke up. 

"A young woman found you at the cave. She's a healer so she was able to keep you alive before you arrived. You were pale when she brought you in and looked like you were near death. Our nurse-maidens treated you. You were unconscious for two days." Mulan thanked the queen and one of the nurse-maidens in the room with them, and felt slightly disappointed over her savior. She was grateful, but she was hoping it had been a certain werewolf who had returned. But that wasn't the case.

"Where is this healer? I would like to thank her for saving my life."

"She's been staying in the palace ever since she brought you here. She wanted to see you recover." The queen looked over to the maiden. "Would you ask someone to fetch the girl please." The maiden nodded and said she herself would go. She left the room and another maiden walked in with a tray of food.

"Thank you but I'm not very hungry." Mulan said. The queen turned to her. 

"Don't be ridiculous. You're still weak." Mulan slowly sat up, her back leaning on the many pillows behind her and reluctantly took the tray and started eating. After a while the maiden who had left earlier came bak in with a young brunette woman behind her. The woman looked a little timid and walked over to a chair near the bed. She sat down and still hadn't looked at Mulan.

"Hello. I've been told you saved my life." Mulan said as she smiled at the young woman. The woman nodded. Elinor who was sitting at the edge of Mulan's bed stood up. 

"I'm needed in the throne room. I'll be back later to see how you are Mulan." Mulan was well aware that the former queen had temporarily taken back her title to rule the kingdom until Merida returned. She nodded and smiled at her as she left. Mulan looked back at the girl next to her.

"I'm Mulan as you probably know already. What's your name?" The girl finally looked up at Mulan.

"Amber"

"Well Amber, thank you for saving me. Did you live around that area?"

"I'm afraid not. I don't exactly live anywhere. I'm a traveller, I stay in different places every night."

"That sounds interesting. I actually have a similar lifestyle. Do you travel alone?" Amber nodded.

"It gets lonely sometimes but I manage."

"Believe me, I know. So how did you find me near the cave?"

"Well uhm... I was passing by and I saw your horses. One of them got loose and was walking around so I tied back to he tree with your other horses. Then I saw you on the ground near the cave so I tried to help."

"Thank you again."

"It was no problem. Don't worry. It's nice to stay in a castle every once and a while too." she grinned. "And if you're wondering how I knew to bring you to the castle when you only said Dunbroch, I kind of guessed because you looked like a soldier."

"I'm more of a lone warrior than a soldier now. The friends I travel with usually just come and go. They all have their own lives to get back to" Mulan frowned.

"That sounds pretty lonely. I guess we have that in common."

"I guess so."

"I'll let you rest. You need it." After she left, Mulan set the tray to the side after eating a good amount of food considering her low appetite and laid back down. She still felt very tired so she went back to sleep.

She woke up the next morning and tried to get up again. She was more successful this time. Her legs dangled off the bed and she was contemplating whether or not she should stand up and risk falling on her face. She tried but felt a sharp pain in her side so she sat back down. She then heard a light knock on the door. 

"Yes?" The door opened and Amber walked in.

"I wasn't sure if you were awake. It's pretty early but I wanted to see how you were feeling today."

"Better. Not great, but better." She said as she tried put her feet back under the sheets. She winced in pain, the action making her wound sting.

"Would you like me to check on that?" She said beckoning at Mulan's bandaged side.

"No it's fine. Thank you" They fell silent for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say. "How did you learn to be a healer?"

"My mother. She taught me everything she knew. We lived together, just the two of us in a small village but she died a year ago."

"I'm sorry." Mulan said softly.

"It's fine. It was a long time ago. What about you? How did you learn how to fight?" 

"My father taught me and I also fought in a war once to save my land. After we'd won I went back home to be with my family but after a few years I still wanted to travel and help people. So I left, trying to find my place in the world."

"Wow- I mean... that's interesting. And have you?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Are you a knight in Dunbroch now?"

"No, I'm just trying to help get it's queen, Merida, back. We're good friends and she was taken away by a dark curse to a land without magic. I promised queen Elinor that I would get her daughter back which is why I was at that temple."

"You needed magic."

"Yes. But we were attacked by the temples guradians. They killed the soldiers that were with me but not me. I think they let me live."

"They don't kill honorable soldiers who won't steal." Mulan looked at her curiously. 

"And how would you know that?"

"I'm not just a healer. I 'm also a witch- A good witch" She added quickly. "I heard legends of that cave, that there was a temple inside of it and I learned everything I could about it. I wanted to see if I could learn anything about it from the witch who lives there. About how to use my abilities and how to better control them." Mulan was surprised by the revelation but not quite bothered by the fact that Amber lied. She was young and she must have been afraid of being seen as a threat.

"The temple was empty. It looked like it had been empty for a while. I don't know where this witch could have gone but she wasn't there."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, you'll find someone else who could teach you. Was your mother like you?"

"Yes. That's how she died. Some villagers found out and were afraid of us. My mother helped me escape but she wasn't so fortunate. They captured her and killed her." She seemed angrier now.

"They'll get what they deserve."

"I hope so. I'd kill them myself if I had more understanding of my magic."

"Hey. Killing them isn't the answer. It won't fix anything and you'll just be falling to their level." Amber let out a sigh.

"I guess you're right." There was another knock on the door and a maiden walked in with a tray of food for Mulan. She took it and thanked her. "I'll be looking around the castle for a while. I'll talk to you later on then?"

"Yes". She left the room leaving Mulan alone to eat.

* * *

 

It had been 10 days since she had last seen Ruby. It was the day Ruby said she might return on. Mulan was able to stand up and walk now. She was feeling a lot better. She was also anxious to see if Ruby would actually return before the day would end. She told her to leave if she didn't arrive by then. Of course Mulan couldn't leave though, since she also had to find a way to get to Merida. So she would still be there if Red were to arrive late, though she doubted that would happen. She hoped Amber would be able to help her get to the other land but she wasn't ready to use such powerful magic yet. She spent most of her time in her room, either alone or talking with Amber. On this day she preferred to be alone because she was only thinking about one person. 

It was late at night and there still no indication of Ruby returning. Mulan lied down in her bed. After a few hours she finally fell asleep and accepted that Ruby wasn't going to come back. The thought bothered her. She slept to avoid thinking about the fact that she would not see Ruby again unless their paths were to coincidently cross one day. She wouldn't travel with her again and she would go to this land without magic alone.

She woke up late the next morning and her tray of breakfast was left on the table next to her bed for her to eat when she woke up. She picked up her tray and started eating but she had no appetite so she was taking tiny bites of the small roll of bread. She then heard a soft knock on the door. Amber.

"Come in" She hadn't looked up from her meal when the door opened.

"Mulan?" Mulan's eyes widened when she heard the familiar voice and she quickly looked up to the person standing in her doorway with a smile on her face.

 


	8. Chapter 8

"Red" Mulan failed at hiding the utter joy she was feeling when saying her name. Ruby was standing in her doorway, looking no different like she had just said goodbye to her a day ago. "You came back".

"I did" she smiled. Ruby was fidgeting with her hands and there was a mutual feeling of tension between them. Mulan let out a breath of air she didn't know she was holding. Ruby then walked over to the bed and sat next to Mulan on the edge of the bed. Her smile had faded to what looked like a frown which Mulan didn't ask about. "Queen Elinor told me about what happened. Merida disappearing and... about you." She hesitated, looking down at Mulan's side where the injury was covered by a bandage and her thin white shirt blocking it out of view. Mulan looked back at Ruby, her eyes seemed to be tearing up. "I shouldn't have left you. I should have been with you."

"Ruby-

"You could have died... And I wasn't even there to help you."

"Hey." Mulan reached for Ruby's cheek, caressing it with her thumb and lifting her face in the process so she could look Ruby in her now tearful eyes. "I didn't. And it's not your fault. You had a duty to fulfill to your pack. What you did was honorable, and you shouldn't feel guilty over it."

"I just-" she sighed. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you." Mulan wiped a tear that rolled down Ruby's face. 

"You won't. Not anytime soon." they both smiled. "Where's your pack?"

"I helped them as much as I could. For a while I thought I was right where I belonged, but that's not how I felt. Sure, I could relate to them with a lot of things but, it felt weird, not being with you. We've been together for so long I got used to having you next to me all the time. I guess we're a package deal now" she giggled.

"I'm glad you're back" Mulan responded.

"Me too" she inched her head towards Mulan's and brought their lips together. It was a small kiss which followed with them resting their foreheads against each other's. Ruby then brought her arms around Mulan's neck and kissed her again. This time it grew deeper and more intense. Mulan's hands found their way to Ruby's hips, pulling her closer. They both felt as if they couldn't get enough of each other. The warmth of Ruby's lips made Mulan forget about any pain she had been feeling before. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. They instantly pulled away, Ruby started picking at her nails while Mulan just laid back.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me, Amber." Ruby looked at Mulan suspiciously with a half-grin and maybe a hint of jealousy.

"Come in Amber." The girl walked in fidgeting with an apple she was eating.

"Oh I wasn't aware you had company. I can come back later-"

"Don't worry Amber, it's fine. This is Red. We're... good friends. Red, this is Amber, she saved me and brought me back to Dunbroch." 

"It's nice to meet you." Ruby smiled at the girl.

"Likewise." Amber said before looking back to Mulan. "I wanted to ask you something. About that temple. I uh- I want to go back. I never got the chance to explore it and I'm guessing you didn't get to look around much either."

"It's too dangerous."

"Which is why I won't go alone. You could come with me. Both of you."

"I'm not sure if that's a great idea." Mulan said.

"Don't you want to find a way to get the queen back? I could help, I'd just need a few lessons and a spell-"

"The only spell that can take us there would be the dark curse which is out of the question." Ruby added. "There actually might be another way."

"What is it?" Mulan asked.

"When I came back, I didn't come alone. Tiny, a giant came with me. We parted ways after we got here, but now that he's back, he might know a way to grow more magic beans that we could use to get to Storybooke. But I don't know exactly where he is."

"I think I do. He went back home. We have to go back to the enchanted forest. We should leave as soon as possible." Mulan started to get up, but Ruby stopped her.

"Mulan, you're hurt. You can't travel like this."

"I'm fine, I've healed enough these past few days. Besides, I'm the only one who knows where his beanstalk is."

"Fine. But if you're feeling tired or any pain, you tell me immediately. Okay?"

"I will." She stood up and walked towards a chair that her armor was rested on and started putting it on. Ruby walked up to her and helped her put her arm through since the wound on her side made it difficult.

The three of them took a few horses from the stables, one for each of them, and set off.

* * *

 After a few days of traveling, on horse back and a short trip on a small ship that the queen arranged for them, they had arrived at their destination. Mulan stood directly under the beanstalk, looking up, seeing it disappear into the clouds.

"You two stay here. I'll go up there since Tiny already knows me." 

"Why can't we come up with you?" Mulan exclaimed.

"Well you're in no shape to climb and since there's more dangers down here than up there, so it'd be better for Amber to stay with you."

"You can't go up there alone."

"I'll be fine. I promise." Mulan nodded. She and Amber found a few logs to sit on nearby as Ruby started climbing.

"So you and Red. You seem very close."

"We are."

"Closer than friends?" Mulan tried to hide the blushing of her cheeks.

"Yes. How did you know?"

"The way you worry about each other. At first I thought it was just because of how long you were traveling together and how dependent of each other you were but then I noticed a few glances from the both of you at each other. It's more than friendship, I can tell."

"It is." They waited a while longer for Ruby to come back, making small talk in the process. When Ruby finally returned, they stood up and walked towards her as she descended the final few branches of the beanstalk. 

"Well?" Mulan asked anxiously. Ruby reached into her pocket and pulled out a magic bean and smiled.

"He started growing them ever since he got back. It's not entirely grown, but I'm guessing Amber could speed up the process for us." They both looked to her.

"I could try. I'm not sure what spell to use though."

"We can easily find a spell book. Rumpelstiltskin's castle would be a good place to start." Mulan added.

* * *

 They walked into the castle, Mulan directing them to the library, since she had become familiar with most of the rooms, from the first time she had visited with Neal. 

The library was big so they each took a different spot and searched. There were a lot of spell books, so they had to skim through them to find a growth spell. After an hour Ruby had finally found one. They look through the list of ingredients and gathered most of them in the castle. A lot of Rumpelstiltskin's potions had been left behind after the curse. A few ingredients like water or leaves were gathered easily outside. After creating the potion they poured some in a glass and put the bean inside. 

"What's next?" Amber asked.

"You have to light the potion on fire using magic so no, it can't just be a normal fire." Ruby, who was reading the instructions, said.

"Just focus Amber. You can do this." Mulan said. Amber opened her palm and closed her eyes, trying to gather the energy to light the fire.

"I don't think I can do it."

"Yes you can. I believe in you." Mulan added. After a few seconds a small ball of fire lit up in Amber's hand. She laughed from the excitement she was feeling.

 "See? I knew you could do it." Mulan said with a smile. Amber directed the small ball of flame into the glass and the clear liquid lit up and turned into a clear green. The flame stopped and the water bubbled and was absorbed by the bean which instantly became fully grown. Mulan looked to Ruby. "Shall we?" Ruby nodded and the three of them walked outside. "Good luck with your travels. You could learn a lot of magic in this castle with all of those books and potions. Unless you wanted go back to Dunbroch."

"I think I'll stay here for a while." she smiled. "I'm so grateful I got to meet both of you." She hugged Mulan.

"So are we." the warrior responded. Mulan tossed the magic bean to the ground and portal opened in front of them. Ruby grabbed Mulan's hand and smiled at her before they both jumped in and the portal closed behind them.

 

 

 


End file.
